Method of measuring gravity



Dec. 5, 1939. J. D. MALMQvlsT METHOD OF MEASURING GRAVITY Filed Feb. 8, 1938 rroR/VFY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES METHOD F DIEASURING GRAVITY Johan David Malmqvi st, Boliden, Sweden, as-

signor to Bolidens Gruvaktieholag, Stockholm, Sweden, a joint-stock company limited of Sweden Application February 8, 1938, Serial No. 189,455 In Sweden March 19, 1937 1 Claim.

It has been known of old that a freely suspended plummet does not always point towards the centre of the earth but that small deviations from the normal perpendicular occur. These deviations, which have been termed plummet deviations, are due to relatively supercial irregularities in the crust of the earth, such as topographical conditions of the country, heterogeneous distribution of rocks or minerals with diierent specic gravity.'

The present invention relates to a method and a device intended for the same, by means of which relative plummet deviations are determined in o order to be able thereby to ascertain the presence of ores, other useful minerals and other subterrestrial deposits.

In determining the plummet deviation it is also intended tol obtain supplementary or completive information on measurements of forces of gravitation where relative changes in the Vertical component of the field of the force of gravitation have been measured. By simultaneously determining the relative plummet deviation it is, as a matter of fact, also possible to compute the change in the horizontal component of the eld of the force ofl gravitation, by which means the position and form of the ores or. on the whole, those of the disturbing bodies can be more exactly determined.-

Previously the plummet deviation has for geodetic purposes been determined with very accurate and precise theodolites, the angular separation between a fixed star and the plumb line at the point of observation then having been determined at a certain fixed moment of time. In these cases it was possible to determine the absolute plummet deviation. In the present case, only the relative plummet deviation is of interest, i. e., the angular separation in the plumb line between two or more adjacent points on the surface of the earth. y

The method of determining relative plummet deviations according tothe present invention is described in the ensuing as an example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawmg.

A telescope I is directed towards a mirror i.

suspended from a point A bya cord 2 to which a plummet or weight 3 is attached, the mirror being placed in the same horizontal plane as the optical axis of thevtelescope. The reected image of the vertical scale 5 placed beside the telescope is sha'rply set in the telescope, and the scale is read off at the point where it is inter- .'m sected by a hair-cross provided in the ocular of the telescope, this hair-cross having been sharply set. This reading is obtained at mirror-position I. Supposing the mirror together with the plummet is removed to another point of suspension A' having another plumb line position II, shown with dashed lines, while the telescope is retained in the same position, and the same procedure is carried out anew,a second reading is obtained on the scale as indicated bythe dotted ray line.

observation along the prole may be determined.-

'I'he method of measurement can be arranged in several different ways. For example, the scale 5 may be exchanged for a light signal whose reflected image is set in the telescope and whose position is read oi on an ocular focussed in. Furthermore, the mirror may be exchanged for a prism which magnifles the angle of deection between the incident and the reected light ray.

In order to preclude the inuences caused by wind and the like the mirror 4 and the plummet 3 are placed in a tube or casing provided with a sight glass. Both mirror and plummet are locked during each change of position. Iniuences by jars are reduced by air damping the suspension device. If required, the vessel in which the mirror and the plummet are housed. is temperature-regulated. Both telescope and scale as well as the' mirror and plummet may, li desired, be encased in an evacuated and temperature-regulated tube in order to preclude influences caused by air refraction.

The procedure may also be modilied in such a way that the image of a fixed object is reflected and refracted by means of a prism attached to the suspension wire of the plummet, into a telescope in which the position may be determined.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim is:

A method of locating and determining the extent of ores or the like by measuring relative plummet deflections that .ire effected by the horizontal components of gravitational force that comprises the steps of xedly locating a telescope having a scale associated therewith, and positioning a plummet having a reiiective surface thereon for playing upon said scale, at selected, point',l over the terrain under observation, while maintaining said telescope in fixed position, noting the variation in the deection of the plummet as manifested on said scale while the plummet is located at each test station, and utilizing the variations in the plummet deection as an index of the subsurface formations.

JOHAN DAVID MALMQVIST. 

